MANILA, Philippines - She was a true matriarch. Family was extremely important to her. She brought us together as a family, even the fourth generation, the generation of my son Jon-jon. She was a woman ahead of her time. She knew that she was given much, so there was genuine willingness to give back. She put up her foundation but she didn?t believe in doling out, but in teaching people how to fish.
?Mary de Leon Rufino, niece

She was fair, honest, strong-willed and she had a heart of gold. Everybody looked up to her because she led by example. She had an untarnished reputation and credibility. She had proper priorities, a concern for the poor, that?s why her greatest legacy is her foundation. She always said that whatever we have here we are only custodians, so you must make sure it?s taken care of properly. Her foundation has scholars in Bicol, where her father was from, and in Bulacan, where a parish priest has projects she liked. She also had a sixth sense?she knew when a family member was having a problem and she would help out.
?Chuchu Madrigal-Eduque, niece

I used to visit her every day. We used to play golf and travel to New York together. She taught us to be proper and modest.
?Alex Eduque, great-grandniece

She had aplomb. Once, I asked her if it was true Ferdinand Marcos courted her in the early years. She said yes, and added that had she said yes to him, he would have been ?not president of the Philippines, but president of Rizal Cement (the Madrigal-owned firm).
?George Sison, former society
columnist and Chito?s friend

One time, I came to collect her at her Waldorf suite to spend a morning in her favorite city. She wore a fab mink, then slipped on a fadded and beat up canvas golf hat saying ?old age gives one the license to be eccentric, let?s go!? Into Sak?s, and off goes Tita?s mink coat and bag on to the arm of Encarnacion, her globe trotting lady-in-waiting. Tita chuckled saying, ?the other day, a lady approached me asking if I was part of the Sak?s staff, seeing I had no bag, no coat, wandering around checking the merchandise. Well, it?s good to know I have a fall back job, just in case I run out of money.? Her sense of humor was divinely zany. Precious.

?JS Roberto Caballero,
ad and marketing practitioner